Skin-interfaced wearable health technology has a hidden flaw: Many systems work best on smoother skin, which tends to be on younger bodies — not the older adults who often need them most. This is because aging-related changes in skin, including wrinkles, thinning and dryness, can significantly impact the contact and data quality of wearable devices.
Now, engineers at Michigan State University have developed a soft, flexible wearable sensor platform called AdapSkin that dramatically improves how the body’s electrical signals are captured, helping artificial intelligence systems more accurately interpret movement and control prosthetic devices.
In testing, the technology improved gesture recognition accuracy in older adults from roughly 60% to more than 97%.